Freda tried not to frown as she welcomed Mrs. Shafi into her apartment. There was something wrong.

"How are you feeling now, child?" Mrs. Shafi asked as she walked into the living room as if it was second nature to her now. She had been coming over to feed Freda healthy food and medicines while she was sick for the past two days. Freda had conveniently gotten sick on the weekend which meant she could relax and not worry about taking days off from the office.

But even though one of her worries was resolved, her other worry was related to none other than the brunette who had occupied her mind for the past two days as well.

"I'm fine now, thanks to you, aunty." Mrs. Shafi waved her hand dismissively after she placed the tray of food down at the coffee table. "Don't be formal with me, you're just like another daughter to me."

Freda smiled before she asked up the question, she had in her head ever since the woman walked into her apartment. "How's Ola doing?"

Mrs. Shafi didn't know why Freda had asked her about that, but she chose not to dwell on that thought for long as she smiled. "She's fine, she's been going out of the house lately though."

The older woman placed a hand under her chin as she felt herself frown. It was as if she had finally acknowledged how weird that really was, after she had spoken it out. Freda frowned as well.

Both of them had the same thought. 'Oh yeah, something was definitely wrong.'

"Did something happen between you two?" Mrs. Shafi had asked up before Freda could say anything, and the question caught the redhead completely off-guard. "W-What?"

"Ola has been acting quite strange ever since she came back from work on Friday."

Freda unconsciously remembered their shared moment under the umbrella and a slight blush colored her cheeks, even though she was shaking her head at Mrs. Shafi.

The older woman raised an eyebrow in question as she tried to make sense of the red coloring on the redhead's cheeks. "Are you sure?" She pressed some more since she wasn't ready to believe that nothing had happened between them. Why else would Ola be acting weirder than usual?

Ola had never in her life stepped foot out of the apartment without having a solid reason to go. That's how she was. But here she was, leaving the apartment for the past two days without having a reason to.

Mrs. Shafi hadn't dared to ask her daughter what was bothering her, because deep down she had somehow believed that she wouldn't like the answer.

"Hm. Everything was fine at the office on Friday." Freda answered as she tried not to think more about their kiss, even though that was all she had thought about in her pastime.

Mrs. Shafi tried to remain silent after that answer, but she couldn't help but feel comfortable enough to ask the redhead a certain question. A question which had left even Freda feeling conflicted. "Is Ola seeing someone in the office? Like as a potential partner?"

Even though Mrs. Shafi's question was extremely vague, it did a great job of making Freda blush. The redhead wasn't sure if she and Ola were at that point of a relationship yet where they would see each other as significant others. Well, Freda was. But Ola was still confused which was specifically why she had been leaving the apartment to go for long walks and then coming back just so she could stand and stare at Freda's apartment door before going over to her own apartment door.

"I-I don't know honestly." Mrs. Shafi noticed an underlying disappointment in Freda's tone as she looked over to the slobbering dog in the living room, who she had noticed after so long.

"Does he always do that?" Freda looked over to the place where Mrs. Shafi was pointing and felt a laugh escape from her lips. "Yes, he always does that." Even though the older woman's question had been vague, Freda knew exactly what the woman meant.

Mrs. Shafi scrunched up her face in extreme disgust but chose not to express it with words as she turned to leave. "I guess I'll go back and see if Ola's back. I need her to get some stuff from the store." Freda lit up instantly at the mention of Ola's name as she nodded her head at the older woman, who wondered what was different about Freda's reactions.

Freda's red nose had gone back to its usual slight pale tone because of the medicines. She looked at Mrs. Shafi with a grateful stare. "Thank you again, for taking care of me."

The older woman shook her head with a smile on her face. "Don't mention it." And just like that the older woman turned to leave and saw herself out of the apartment without Freda's help.

Freda smiled as her attention turned to the tray of food on her coffee table. She came to sit down on the sofa, right beside her slobbering dog. "No one really likes you, Iko."

Thank God, we finally have a name for the slobbery mess.

Freda frowned as she looked around her living room in search of where the voice had come from. "I think I can understand Ola now."

Iko stared at the woman with a tilt of his head as Freda began to pet his head, while also cooing at his cuteness. Iko responded with a light bark before he began to slobber up Freda's hand.

While Freda was getting her hand assaulted by a dog, Ola walked over to her apartment with a heavy heart. She was still clueless as to what she should do about Freda, and her parents.

This was the most she had ever thought about something. Other times, she always knew what to do or not since nothing else was as important as this situation. She was conflicted. She wanted something with Freda but then again, she didn't know how and that made her not want it.

Her long walk around the apartment building block was fruitless as she sighed loudly before going over to her apartment door. Just as she had walked inside of the apartment, her mother had caught her in the doorway with a few bills of money. "We need some milk and eggs for breakfast."

Ola sighed again before she took the money from her mother.

Mrs. Shafi raised a questioning eyebrow as she looked at her daughter oblige wordlessly. Something was definitely wrong.

"Okay, what's wrong with you?"

Not expecting the sudden question, Ola widened her eyes as her mother pulled her inside of the apartment just so she wouldn't try to run away. She was going to get answers from the brunette, and she was going to make sure to resolve whatever issue she was facing.

Ola shook her head unconvincingly as Mrs. Shafi frowned. "You've been going out of the apartment for no reason." Even though Ola didn't want to agree with her mother, but there was definitely something worrying going on.

"You've been sighing a lot. You haven't gone to talk to Freda, and you've been keeping your desk chair very clean." Mrs. Shafi listed off as she stared at her daughter, not leaving any room for Ola to protest. At the end of her list, Mrs. Shafi placed her hands on her hips while tapping her foot for more emphasis.

She was definitely not looking for lame excuses from the brunette. She needed real answers.

"T-That's just because..." Ola came up short for an answer as she trailed off and then altogether looked away from her mother, hoping to find some excuse while looking off to somewhere her mother wasn't.

"No, no. Look at me and say it." Mrs. Shafi went to stand right where Ola had turned her attention towards. Ola sighed before she came up with a temporary solution. "I'll tell you tomorrow."

Mrs. Shafi's eyes narrowed as she looked at her daughter. "You have work tomorrow." Ola frowned as she listened to her mother. She hadn't realized how fast the weekend had gone by.

"After I come back home then." Ola replied as she nodded her head for a secondary confirmation. Mrs. Shafi sighed before she came closer towards her daughter. She placed a hand on Ola's unsuspecting cheek before she spoke up. "I'm always here whenever you want to talk to me, child. Don't keep everything to yourself."

Ola saw the sincerity in her mother's eyes, but she didn't know how to bring herself to say what was actually bothering her. She didn't even know if she should say it to the older woman to begin with.

"Yes, mama."

Mrs. Shafi smiled slightly before she turned around and walked back to the living room, while Ola watched her mother's retreating back. She watched her until she turned around the corner and disappeared from her view.

Letting out a sigh, Ola turned around to leave as well, with the money in her hands, and her heart heavier than it was before.

Oh boy, you're in a deep mess.

Ola sighed again.